


Boundaries

by TomesByBones



Series: Shumako Week 2019 [5]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Angst, Drama, F/M, Fluff, Heartbreak, Humor, Jealousy, Love Triangles, Romance, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-20
Updated: 2019-01-20
Packaged: 2019-10-13 08:45:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17484932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TomesByBones/pseuds/TomesByBones
Summary: Written for ShuMako week 2019 Day 5Theme: Nerves / JealousyMakoto tried to follow along with Ren's panicked explanation of what had happened on the rooftop of Shujin Academy, but the poor fluffy haired teenager was too shaken. What exactly had transpired between Ren and the newest member of the Phantom Thieves, and why did it cause Makoto to get so angry?





	Boundaries

“Wait, what?” Makoto’s eyes were wide now. Ren had just explained everything to her, but she honestly hadn’t been listening. Hell, she could barely understand a word that came out of his mouth when he was talking so quickly. She knew this was serious because Ren was _never_ this worked up about anything unless it was Metaverse related. Yet even then, he had always managed to keep his cool and think rationally. Two things that the fluffy haired teenager was clearly incapable of doing at the moment.

“Makoto, she _kissed_ me!” Ren stopped his pacing and thrust his arms out widely. He was sweating, unsure how Makoto was going to handle him dropping this bomb on her. Haru had only been an _official_ member of the Phantom Thieves for a few weeks now, but at Makoto’s insistence, Ren had been spending increasing amounts of time with her. Mostly because the poor girl was hurting and needed to see the kind of man their leader was, but also because she knew Ren was worried about the girl.

“I heard that part!” Makoto’s voice was rising now. Her cheeks flushing slightly as she thought about Ren, the leader of the Phantom Thieves and her boyfriend of only a couple months, locking lips with another woman. She was surprisingly madder than she thought she should be. Both at Ren and at the newest member of their team.

“Makoto it’s not like I kissed her back!” Ren was panicked, he felt guilty, he knew he shouldn’t, but he still did. His chest was pounding, his heart racing. His eyes showed nothing but fear and sorrow as he stared at Makoto and while she hadn’t tried to, she was made well aware of the look she was giving Ren when he took a slight step backwards. _The_ _Niijima Death Glare._

Makoto calmed as she heard the words. Of course Ren wouldn’t have, right? He loved her, didn’t he? He had confessed as much during the school festival and then had admitted that there was more than a little truth to the outburst, even if he had been trying to cause a distraction to get the announcer to stop questioning her about Akechi and The Phantom Thieves. Ugh, Akechi. Just thinking about him made Makoto’s skin crawl.

That young man frustrated Makoto to no end, first his fake pity when he had called her a pushover, then he had twisted her plan to get information into his own entrapment of the Thieves. That wasn’t important now though, well it _was_ important as they still hadn’t worked out all the details of how they were going to turn the tables on Akechi, but that’s not why Ren and Makoto were meeting secretly.

Haru, their newest _real_ member had made a move on Ren. Her Ren. Makoto had never really been the jealous type, at least she didn’t _think_ she had, but this was new to her. She’d never had a boyfriend before, Hell she’d never even held hands with a boy before Ren. How in the world was she supposed to know if she was a certain way or wasn’t in this situation, she’d never been in it before! Her mind was spinning chaotically as she tried to slow her thoughts down, it wasn’t working. She needed help, she looked at Ren, hoping for some assistance with controlling her own frantic thoughts and getting these mental images of Haru and Ren out of her mind.

Ren meanwhile was struggling with his own emotions, he felt as if he had betrayed Makoto’s trust. He hadn’t kissed the girl back, but it had taken a moment to register in his mind exactly what was happening. The first thing that had actually popped into his mind was him wondering if this was how Makoto had felt in the underground mall when he had slipped a hand down her cheek that afternoon. The smoothness of her skin below his fingertips had nearly been too much for the poor boy then and he had felt faint as he leaned in swiftly, tilting her head back and placing a soft but timid kiss upon her lips. Their first kiss. If so then he had a lot more to apologize for it seemed.

They hadn’t even been dating back then, but Makoto’s investigation into the Phantom Thieves had made Ren incredibly anxious. He had already been crushing on the girl hard when she started _stalking_ him. He had taken mental note at this point that the girl was extremely easy to fluster, and he tried to dissuade her from pursuing him with several other tactics before he finally realized that she wasn’t going to give up so easily. It had led him to that fateful moment where he had stolen the girl’s first kiss and given her his own. He had wished he had done it just because he thought she was insanely beautiful, or smart, or anything other than the reason his brain come to the conclusion that _this_ was the proper course of action to get her to stop chasing him throughout Toyko, trying to prove he was a Phantom Thief.

The thoughts caused Ren’s heart to crack a little now as the events of the day played out in his mind. He wanted nothing more than to take Makoto in his arms right then and reassure her that she was everything he wanted, everything he needed but something kept him at bay. The girl’s eyes hadn’t left the floor now for some time as she cupped her hands in front of her mouth, leaned forward with her elbows on her knees. It wasn’t a pose that Makoto assumed often, and when she had it usually meant that she wasn’t happy about something.

He had been worried about telling her, but despite his fears, the teenage boy had decided that honesty was the lesser of two evils here. Yes, his girlfriend would be upset but he hadn’t inherently done anything wrong, had he? Yeah, now if only _someone_ could tell that to his heart that was actively trying to rip itself from his chest currently. The lump in his throat rendered him unable to speak it seemed, every time he attempted to open his mouth it was as if some force had stolen his voice. He needed to be extremely careful here, one wrong word and it could spell disaster for their relationship.

“I---” Ren finally managed to eek out the beginning of his thoughts when Makoto posed a question to Ren that he hadn’t been expecting. She probably hadn’t even heard him start to speak and somewhere in his mind he knew that. It still felt as if she had cut him off intentionally though, but Ren knew Makoto wasn’t the type to do that, unless she was furious, which she was, and now Ren’s thoughts were tripping over themselves in a vicious cycle, he decided it was best just to stop thinking for a moment and _listen_ to his girlfriend now.

“Did you stop her Ren?” Makoto asked shyly. Her eyes didn’t leave the floor as the words filled the room, as if asking that question would show how vulnerable she really was right now. She needed to hear him say it, she needed him to tell her that he had stopped the young woman as soon as she tried. But she didn’t hear that, she didn’t hear anything. Her eyes closed slowly as her brow began to furrow. What was this pain in her chest? She felt as if her heart was snapping in two. The girl’s head fell into her hands.

“I….” Ren was leaning against the desk to her right, looking at her as her head lowered into her hands. “I panicked… So, I guess not, not at first at least. I was in shock---” Ren rubbed his temples with his hands, trying his best to be comforting while still remaining honest. Makoto rose quickly from the edge of the bed, snatching her bag up quickly as she stood. She started to walk towards the steps leading down to the café below. She suddenly found herself not caring if Sojiro, or Boss as they called him, was listening down below.

“I need some time to think about this.” Makoto said coldly as she stopped at the stairs.

“Makoto, please let me explain!” Ren called after her, slightly stunned as her words registered in his mind. “I swear to god, I did not kiss that girl!” She could hear the panic in Ren’s voice, she could hear how scared he was that he had messed everything up between them. Did he? Makoto’s heart was hurting, but was she really mad at Ren? That didn’t feel right. Why would she be mad at him? Oh, yeah, because another woman had kissed him and he had _failed_ to stop her, had he even _wanted_ her to stop? He may not have kissed her back, if that was even the truth, but that didn’t mean he didn’t enjoy it. Even as Makoto’s mind wrestled with the situation it all felt very off to her. Like Ren was panicking too much, or that her own insecurities were running rampant with her emotions. She couldn’t help how she felt right then though.

“I know.” She looked at him, her eyes flat and emotionless. She didn’t know what emotion to show right now, or even how to. “I know you didn’t Ren. I just need to think about this, alone.” Makoto added, she was in new territory here and didn’t know how to go forward without it blowing up in her face. She hoped Ren would understand that. She just didn’t want her emotions to overflow and make the entire situation worse.

“Makoto… Please, don’t go.” Ren was practically pleading with her, but Makoto looked away.

“I’ll call you tonight, we’ll talk. Promise.” She said as she stared at the wall. She could hear Ren walking towards her, and she quickly descended the steps. She couldn’t be near him right now, she had to figure out how this all made her feel. Being around him would only make that harder, and as difficult as this already was, she didn’t need that. as if by some miracle, Ren did not follow her.

The cold air smacked Makoto as soon as she exited the café. The little bell from the door ringing loudly as the wind ripped the door out of her hands and slammed it shut. She was angry, and upset, yes. But she never would’ve slammed the door to Sojiro’s place, that was just disrespectful. She thought about opening the door back up and apologizing profusely but she stopped. What if Ren was down there now, talking with Sojiro? She couldn’t look at him right now, not because he had done anything wrong but because every time she did she saw him kissing another woman. That scene hurt, more than she’d like to admit.

She sighed deeply and trudged off down the streets of Yongjen-Jaya, confusion and disappointment hovering over her like a dark cloud. Makoto’s experience with jealousy had been very limited. The last time she had felt it was before entering high school. She had just graduated from her elementary studies the year before attending Shujin. She had been on the podium, her teachers announcing her name to come get her little mock diploma. She beamed happily as she looked out into the crowd, hoping to see her sister amongst the parents that had come to see their children take their first steps into adulthood. Her smiled had faded quickly when she hadn’t been able to find her sister at all, there was no one there to see her on this occasion. She had wanted to cry then, but she held her chin up and bit her bottom lip. Much like she did now whenever she was fighting back her emotions.

She had managed to shrug it off at first, feeling pride in her own accomplishments as she was called to receive multiple awards. Perfect Attendance? Check. Most likely to succeed? Check. Most inspiring? Check. That last one she had received because despite her father’s recent death she had remained a model student, never missing class and always doing her best. It wasn’t until a young boy was called to the podium to receive the Most Improved award that she broke down. The young man’s parents had met the boy on the other side of the stage, arms open and beaming with pride. That boy, whose name Makoto couldn’t remember at all, had everything she had wanted. No awards would ever replace that look in the child’s eyes as his parents threw their arms around their son, holding him close and celebrated his achievement with him. Seeing that boy so happy had caused something in Makoto’s heart to break silently, and she cried until she got home that night.

Yes, Makoto’s run ins with the emotion known as jealousy were very limited, and never directed at a romantic interest. Nevermind the fact that there had never _been_ a romantic interest before Ren. That was what made it all the more perplexing. She knew she could trust Ren, he had saved her life multiple times in Mementos, and during palace infiltrations, but the feelings in her chest right now said otherwise. Haru had kissed her boyfriend, and he hadn’t stopped it. _‘Not at first.’_ She reminded herself, that _wasn’t_ helping. What if Haru offered something that Makoto didn’t? She wasn’t charming, she wasn’t rich, she definitely wasn’t brave enough to just up and kiss Ren like that. Was she?

She thought about it for a minute, she still wanted to kiss him. Badly. They hadn’t had many moments where the opportunity had presented itself and even when they had Makoto hadn’t known exactly _how_ to initiate something like that. Ren was new to this as well, but she knew that If he let himself he could’ve easily kissed her. Like he had when he had stolen her first kiss from her in the underground mall. Ren had told her later that he had felt like he had cheated both of them out of their first real kiss though as he hadn’t done it for the right reasons. Makoto had reluctantly agreed with that assessment and made him promise that he would only ever kiss her again if he felt like he was doing it honestly. Even if that first kiss had been one hell of an introduction to the art.

What if he couldn’t be that way with her without falling into that façade of stylish confidence? I mean surely those feelings were actually a part of him in some way, even if they were a shield he used to throw people off. He was still charming, still debonair when they were doing things other than _that_. He still constantly made her feel beautiful and like she was all his eyes could see, he was constantly flustering her as well with his wit and his sweetness. Just who was Ren though? Joker? Or some strange mixture of the aloof, quiet boy that he showed the real world, and the insanely powerful, mysterious leader of the Phantom Thieves?

She boarded the train to Shibuya, completely lost in thought, oblivious to everything around her for a time. That was dangerous, she knew, but she couldn’t help it right now. She _needed_ to figure this out. Was she enough of a woman for Ren? For Joker? What if Haru was more like what he wanted? She had to admit, their pairing would have a certain appeal behind it. A desperate princess locked into an arranged marriage by her wicked father and his conspirators. All for the sake of gaining more power. A chance meeting with a young rogue, hellbent on stealing the rich man’s wealth, that would turn the girl’s life upside down and show her that life was about more than fulfilling her responsibilities.

It sounded almost like the bad romantic comedies that Ren liked to watch with her. She never did understand those movies but found herself wholly engrossed in them all the same. The two of them would constantly make guesses about the plot, seeing if they could figure out which cliché the story would fall back on first. She laughed to herself slightly. Yeah, their pairing would make for a good drama, but there was a problem. He was Makoto’s, and she was his.

 _‘Uh oh, plot twist!’_ She thought. _‘now the rom-com was becoming a love triangle! Queue the next cliché!’_ Ren’s voice echoed in her head. Makoto hated _this_ plot though, the whole mystery of it was who the _desired_ one would end up with, leaving someone hurt and usually someone questioning their self-worth, or a few times that they had seen in the movies the _desired_ one would choose neither of their potential love interests. What if Ren did that? Was he as confused as she was? What if he was trying to choose between her and Haru?!

She shook her head violently. Ren had given her no reason to start thinking like this. He had vehemently denied wanting the girl’s advances. He had started off his entire rambling explanation of the situation with the worlds _‘First off, you know how I feel about you…’_ Those words had made Makoto’s heart sink at first as she fully expected him to end things with her, but when he launched into a tirade about what had happened on the roof of Shujin Academy she found herself getting angrier and angrier. That place meant something to her and Ren. He admitted his love for her there, and while she hadn’t outright said it back then it was the place that she realized that she loved him too. Haru had tainted that, and Makoto couldn’t stand the thought of it.

A deep sigh escaped Makoto’s lips. Normally the subway made her nervous, something about being packed so tightly with other people made her feel vulnerable and like she wasn’t in control, but today the train car was somewhat empty. Makoto was grateful for the space as she sat down and let the hum of the train car rolling down the tracks lull her into her thoughts again.

She and Ren had agreed to keep their relationship a secret when it began. It was far from the most important thing going on in their lives, even if it was a huge step forward for the two of them. Makoto had also been nervous about what the others would say if they found out their leader was dating a teammate. Not just any teammate either, the one he had not so long ago made the co-leader for their group. Would that change their view of her? Would she still be Queen, the strategist of the Phantom Thieves that had a thing for motorcycles and pounding Shadows with her fists? Or would they just see her as their leader’s girlfriend? Someone who was in her position _because_ of his attachments to her. The thought had made her stomach turn, and while she knew some of the members well enough to say that wouldn’t be the case, she couldn’t speak for the others. So, yeah, secret relationship it was. At least until they could find the right time to tell everyone.

Alright, so Haru had no idea Ren was unavailable. That was a point in Ren’s favor. He couldn’t very well go blabbing about how he was taken or anything like that without dropping a massive hint to Haru, who would then more than likely pass that information off to the team and god forbid the team found out. That group chat would’ve exploded so quickly that Makoto’s phone might have fried itself from the notifications from Ann and Ryuji alone. Makoto sighed solemnly. She wished for a moment that she wasn’t Queen and Ren wasn’t Joker. That they were just two normal teenagers, finding their way through this new relationship. Keeping things a secret like this had been kind of fun at first, but now it was starting to be stressful.

 _‘Maybe now’s the time to be honest…’_ Makoto found herself thinking. Haru was such a sweetheart that she never would’ve made a move on Ren if she had known he had a girlfriend, right? Well, that wasn’t entirely accurate. She may have been forward enough to do something like that, Makoto couldn’t say. That girl did have her _darker_ side after all. What if Haru knew that _she_ was Ren’s girlfriend though? Surely that’d be enough right? Makoto glanced down at her watch, making a mental note of the time. She was slowly beginning to find her footing when those creeping insecurities reared their ugly heads again.

 _‘Is Haru a better kisser than me?’_ Her mind wretched and Makoto felt sick to her stomach. Why in the hell was she thinking like this? She was not some sniveling lovesick puppy that needed validation from Ren! She was Makoto Niijima! There was pride in her chest as she remembered her name, remembered her father and how he had always told her to live each day to the fullest, because she couldn’t go back and do it again.

Makoto stomped her foot suddenly, scaring a nearby train passenger that wasn’t paying attention. She quietly mouthed a quick apology towards the man and raised her hand to her chin. Tucking it ever so slightly. _’I need to talk to Haru…’_ Her mind finally stopped in it’s tracks, placing the answer at her fingertips. As she looked out the window of the subway train she sighed quietly again. _’Definitely the jealous type.’_ She heard Anat’s voice in her mind, her Persona seemingly quite amused by the entire situation. _‘Oh shush, you, I mean me, you know what I meant.’_ Makoto’s mental argument skills left much to be desired when it came to Anat, but that would have to do for now. She had a cinnamon roll to set straight.

Haru had still been on the rooftop of Shujin Academy when Makoto opened the door slowly. She could feel her hands shaking even as she held the door handle firmly. She’d never confronted a romantic _rival_ before, it was kind of exciting. Makoto’s mind had played through all the ways this could’ve gone horribly wrong. The most comical of which would’ve been Haru proclaiming that she wasn’t going to give up on winning Ren’s heart, and that Makoto and her would have to fight to the death in the rain while Yusuke painted the scene with his finest bushes! Maybe she watched too many Yakuza flicks after all.

“Oh! Mako-chan! I didn’t hear you coming! I’m sorry just give me a minute!” Haru’s voice was shaking and her face was red and puffy like she had been… Crying? All of Makoto’s silly fantasies and fears about confronting the woman that had planted her lips on her boyfriend vanished at the sight. Haru was sitting in a chair next to her flower beds, still wearing the bright red gym clothes that Shujin issued to all students. Makoto’s hand found it’s way to her chest, an attempt to still her racing heart.

“Haru-chan? Are you alright?” Makoto was surprised at how concerned she really was. Haru had been so hard for Makoto to figure out before today, the poor girl had been through Hell, but she exuded a quiet kind of strength. When the Thieves had watched her father’s mental shutdown happen on-screen the girl had maintained her composure and simply told everyone that she would need to leave. Nobody had seen her cry over the man’s death, but Makoto knew from experience that there was no earthly way that Haru had been able to keep it together once she had left their sight. Now here she was again, so full of sorrow but trying to hide it as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

“Oh Mako-chan… No, no I am not.” Haru finally gave up and looked towards her. “I think I may have made a very big mistake today.” Haru shifted nervously in her seat. This was a look Makoto recognized, the poor girl was embarrassed and hurt. Makoto walked up to her and grabbed a chair. Makoto looked at Haru and asked her if she wanted someone to sit with her. Haru nodded softly and buried her head into her hands again, sobbing quietly.

“Do you want to tell me why you’re crying?” Makoto feigned ignorance of the situation, Haru didn’t need to know that she knew what was going on. “I may not be able to help, but the least I can do is listen…” Makoto’s voice was soft, her words honest. She didn’t know if she could help Haru, seeing as she was at least somewhat to blame for the young girl’s current situation with their mutual shared interest.

“I kissed him…” She spoke meekly, almost a whisper. Haru looked more like a mouse than a young woman as she began shrinking into herself. The young girl drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them tightly, her head buried in shame. Her sobs grew more intense now. “I-I-I kissed Ren---” Haru was openly crying now, her shoulders and chest heaved with each sob. Makoto felt horrible seeing the young girl like this, her curls bouncing softly as she cried. Makoto slowly rose and wrapped her arms around Haru, wanting to comfort her but not knowing the words. She held the heiress close and rocked her back and forth slowly. Sae used to do this to her when she was much younger and upset, long before their family had been twisted and torn apart by death and despair.

“It’s okay…” Makoto mouthed quietly, her voice sounding more tranquil as she slowly stroked the girl’s hair. “It’s okay…” Makoto did this for what seemed like hours before Haru finally stopped crying. She wasn’t an expert on love, or even anywhere remotely familiar with all the various concepts of it, but she recognized heartbreak when she saw it. In a strange bit of irony, she actually felt a little angry at Ren again, albeit this time for a very different reason, he had left Haru in such a vulnerable state. Yes, she had crossed a boundary, but she had done so without even knowing that the boundary was there in the first place. Haru was calmer now as she finally put a hand on one of Makoto’s arms and squeezed a little. Makoto took the hint and slowly let her go, returning to her seat.

“I’m sorry Mako-chan, I don’t know what came over me.” Haru began. Makoto listened, her face expressionless, she was more confused now than she was when she first arrived. A different kind of confusion, but confusion all the same. What had Ren _said_ to her?! Surely he would’ve known to let the poor girl down gently, but all evidence to the contrary said otherwise.

“Why don’t you explain what happened?” Makoto leaned forward, placing a hand on top of Haru’s leg. Haru nodded softly and began.

“Ren was helping me with the flowers, he’s been doing that a lot since…” Her eyes shifted and her voice cracked a little. “Since my father passed away.” She finished the sentence. Makoto could see that Haru was struggling still and waited patiently. “We started talking, about how he knew that the Phantom Thieves weren’t responsible, but he had wished he could’ve done something. He said that he hated seeing one of his friends suffer like I was.” Haru smiled at the word _friend_. “I started crying, and he hugged me Mako-chan… I-I’ve never been held by a b-boy before.” She was blushing now, her cheeks slowly turning redder than her hair, Makoto couldn’t help but smile a little as she watched Haru shift uncomfortably. She wondered if Ren thought that she herself was this cute when she was embarrassed.

“I see.” Makoto spoke softly and suddenly the desire to smile left her body as she realized something. Haru glanced at her and Makoto could tell she was confused. Makoto had been trying to remain unbiased. It had been easy until Haru’s words caught up with her and she had heard that Ren had held this young lady much in the same way that he held her. _’Now’s not the time for jealousy.’_ Anat spoke again. Makoto slowly nodded towards Haru but doing so in agreement with her Persona. “Go on…” She offered to Haru.

“I’ve always thought Ren was so dashing. So suave and sweet. Ever since he came to Shujin Academy. I had never worked up the courage to talk to him, but I just knew that he wasn’t anything like what everyone said about him. His face was too soft, and his eyes were so kind, and lonely…” Haru’s voice lifted as she talked about their leader. Makoto listening intently, she had used similar words to describe Ren to Eiko on so many nights that she couldn’t help but smile. “Just like me…” Haru’s voice was stronger now. “So, when Ren started spending time with me, I think those feelings for him just grew until I couldn’t control it anymore, and when he held me. I just reacted. I didn’t even mean to! I just wanted him to know how I felt!” Haru’s voice was shaking again now as the tears started welling up in her eyes. There was disappointment there, she had been so hopeful, only to be crushed when her affection wasn’t returned. “I misread him entirely, I thought he was _courting_ me. When he was really just trying to be a good friend… I’m such an _idiot_.” Haru’s voice tapered off at the end, the last word barely audible by Makoto.

The two sat in silence for a long time after that, Makoto was unsure what to say to Haru and Haru was clearly overwhelmed. The sun had began setting when the brunette finally made a decision. It was time to be honest after all.

“Haru, what did Ren say to you?” Makoto leaned back in the chair and crossed her legs. Her arms followed soon after, laying across her chest. In her mind she knew that she probably looked like Sae did whenever she questioned someone on the witness stand, but it was all she knew to do. She had to keep her hands from shaking, Haru’s answer here would tell her everything she thought she needed to know.

“Oh… H-he just said that he ‘had someone’ that he cared for. That he was sorry, and he couldn’t give anyone else his heart, because she had already stolen it.” Haru giggled a little. “He was quite poetic about the entire thing now that I think about it.” Haru was smiling warmly, her usual demeanor beginning to show again.

“I see…” Makoto shifted her eyes to the side, stifling a smile as her cheeks began to redden. “That sounds like something he’d say.” She raised a hand to her forehead and leaned forwards towards Haru.

“Oh, Mako-chan did you also do something _incredibly_ _stupid_ and confess your feelings for Ren?” Haru giggled again. She was practically bubbly now but there was that usual touch of the macabre as well. Makoto could tell Haru was mentally picturing her throwing herself at Ren, sputtering out a confession of undying love, only for Ren to reject her as well. _‘Not exactly how it all happened, but maybe I should let her think that?’_ Makoto wondered, but she then remembered her reason for coming here. To be honest.

“Actually Haru….” Makoto leaned forward a little more and placed her hands on her knees, bracing herself. “Ren and I….” She quickly took a deep breath and she pushed the air out as fast as she could, the words tumbling out with the air. “Ren and I are dating!” She squinted her eyes shut, expecting some cosmic force to derail her from this reality in which she finally had given their relationship some light. Something, anything, but nothing came. Makoto slowly opened one eye, peeking out at the young woman sitting in front of her. Haru was sitting straight now, both hands covering her gaping mouth. The color had fled from Haru’s face and Makoto thought her heart might have stopped for a second. She was considering calling an ambulance when Haru finally spoke again.

“Oh. My. God. Mako-chan I had no IDEA! I am so sorry, oh god this means that I-I-I kissed your… I mean he’s… Oh my god Makoto I am so terribly sorry!” Haru was floundering violently, almost like a fish out of water trying to survive. The poor girl had rose from her seat without even realizing it and had started to try and run in ten directions at once. Makoto held up a hand slightly and tried to calm the girl down, but it was no use. Haru suddenly started bowing repeatedly while apologizing now. Finally, Makoto stood from her seat and put her hands on Haru’s shoulders.

“Haru, it’s alright.” Her grip was tight on Haru’s shoulders, stopping her from prostrating any further. “I mean it. You didn’t know, nobody knows. We’ve been keeping it a secret. The only two people that know are Sojiro and Futaba, and Futaba wasn’t by choice.” Makoto grimaced at the memory of Futaba confronting her outside of Leblanc one evening. She cared for the girl, much like an older sister would, but damned if she hadn’t wanted to strangle her when she had told Makoto about the ‘bugs’ in Leblanc with a huge knowing smile on her face. Thankfully those were gone now.

The two girls sat again and talked throughout the sunset. Haru asking all the basic questions, and Makoto answering them as far as she comfortably could. It was strange that the young woman had taken such an interest in her love life, well maybe not that strange since it did involve the boy she’d been pining for. Honestly Makoto had found herself wishing she was having this same conversation with Sae, but she knew that would probably never happen. Sae would’ve rather thrown her boyfriend in jail than to pry the _juicy details_ out of Makoto’s mouth like Eiko had done. Like Haru was doing now.

By the end of the conversation Makoto and Haru had discussed a great many things. Like how sweet Ren was to her, and how she found herself constantly trying too hard to make him swoon the way he did her. Haru had offered some valuable insight into that; that Makoto should just be herself, Ren loved her for her, not whatever she was trying to force herself to be. Those words had brought a sort of serenity to Makoto that she had been lacking for a long time now. Since discovering her sister’s palace all those months ago. Surprisingly enough Makoto found that she had enjoyed that they had also gossiped about how soft Ren’s lips were. They decided that he _had_ to use something on them, there was just no way a boy’s lips were supposed to be that _kissable_. The giggles and laughter had raised Makoto’s spirits in a way that she would’ve never been able to achieve on her own. She was grateful she’d had the courage to be honest with Haru. It also helped that the little cinnamon roll promised to keep her and Ren’s relationship a secret until they were ready to share it with everyone else.

After the two girls shared a friendly embrace Haru looked at Makoto one more time, then she bounced on her feet for a second and giggled.

“What is it?” Makoto asked, raising an eyebrow as she watched the girl’s fluffy hair bounce with her. _‘So cute…’_ Anat was voicing Makoto’s sentiments now in her mind.

“Oh nothing, it’s just…” Haru sighed dreamily at Makoto. “I think I understand why he loves you. You came here to defend _your man_ and all that and the moment you saw me upset you instantly reacted. You two have that in common. You always try to put others before yourselves, even when you’re in a bad situation.” Haru breathed deeply and continued. “I think he’s lucky to have you Mako-chan, and you him.”

Makoto was blushing now, not as red as she did when Ren teased her, but this little ball of sweetness and fluff had figured her out in a way Makoto hadn’t been able to for all her entire life. It was sweet, and a little scary too if Makoto was being completely honest.

“Take care of him, please?” Haru looked up at Makoto, eyes almost pleading.

“I will, I promise Haru.” Makoto smiled softly and nodded at her new friend. “I’ll always be there for him.”

“Well, with a butt that cute I can hardly blame you!” Haru giggled again, causing Makoto’s face to burn hot. “I wouldn’t want to take my eyes off of it _ever_.” Makoto was groaning now as she listened to Haru, but it was a playful groan.

“He catches me staring at it _constantly_!” She laughed as she breathed out deeply. “I can’t help it! It’s just… There!” She gestured forward and down a little bit with both hands.

“Man-butt! The downfall of the great Makoto Niijima!” Haru’s bubbly nature was infectious and Makoto found herself laughing uncontrollably. Haru joined in and the two girls had to wait a few more minutes before finally saying their goodbyes, chuckles and giggles littering their farewells. Makoto felt better now. Her mind was more at peace than it had been in a while now, and she smiled the entire way home, a fit of laughter taking hold of her as she thought about how her afternoon had started so badly.

Makoto had made it home a little past nine that night. Not too late, but definitely later than normal. She had hoped Sae was still at work as she sat down on the steps that lead to their apartment. She had one more conversation she had to have tonight before she could call it a day.

_Can you talk?_

_*Ding*_

_Helping Boss at the moment, he’s mad at me because we argued…_

Makoto frowned.

_So, he heard? I’m not surprised, you were shouting after all._

_*Ding*_

_Makoto listen… I love you, you know that right? I would NEVER do anything to hurt you like that._

She smiled at the screen, tears welling in her eyes. She had been so stupid to doubt Ren, she realized that now, and she silently vowed to always trust him from now on. She had known it all along, but the _what if’s_ and her own insecurities had played havoc with her emotions today. He didn’t deserve that. She knew in her heart that she was all the woman Ren wanted, all he needed, and if he ever felt differently, he would tell her.

_I know baby. I’m sorry._

She had typed it without even thinking it. She had heard Eiko call that Tsukasa guy ‘ _baby’_ when that entire fiasco was going on. Something about tonight made it feel appropriate but maybe it was a bit much. Makoto found herself quickly backpedaling now, wondering if Ren thought she was as much of a wreck as she herself thought.

_Sorry, I’m a little emotional right now. I promise though, I’m not mad at you. Can we talk before you go to bed tonight? I know you’re helping Boss now, but I really want to hear your voice._

_*Ding*_

_I like it, you’ve never called me that before. I’ll let you know when I can talk._

She could imagine that big dorky grin on Ren’s face when his voice had that tone in it. The one he got whenever they shared a real moment together. Those moments weren’t rare really, but they were still incredibly special to her. The mental image of that smile made her own lips curl into a sweet smile as she looked at the phone. Something about seeing Ren happy in her mind convinced her that it was time to be honest with one more person after all…

_Okay. I’ll be waiting…_

_Oh and Ren?_

_*Ding*_

_Yeah?_

This was it, do or die.

_I love you too._

She did it. She actually did it! Makoto clutched the phone to her chest as she stood up, a bundle of emotions wrapping their clutches around her heart. Happiness, pride, acceptance and of course, love. She was just about to reach into her bag to find her keys when her ringtone started going off. It was Ren.

“Hello? Ren?” She asked, a little confused.

“I want to hear you say it.” Ren’s voice was shaking.

“Oh…” Makoto balked a little at this, she hadn’t been prepared to outwardly _say_ it, her cheeks started to heat up as she placed one of her hands against her face, she was trying to stop herself from blushing, the last thing she wanted right now was to walk into her apartment looking like a tomato again. Sae’s annoyed questioning the last time that happened had been nerve wracking for the poor brunette.

“Makoto, please?” She could tell he was holding his breath as he asked. She could also hear something that sounded like movement in the background, he was pacing again. She sighed softly and held the phone close to her face. Her cheeks flushing hot as she thought about what he was asking her to do.

“Ren?” she smiled a little.

“Yes, my Queen?” The anticipation was killing him, she knew it.

“I Love You.” Tomato status achieved, but what the hell, it was worth it.

**Author's Note:**

> So far this has personally been my favorite of the prompts. Makoto's insecurities and naivete is something I thoroughly enjoy exploring. It was also a nice chance to experiment with what happens when Ren is taken by surprise by some of the other females in his life. I hope you enjoyed it.
> 
> As always any feedback is more than welcome, I'm consistently behind on these prompts but I think I should be able to finish up the last two here soon, we'll see. Thank you


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